David Tirschwell, December 7

Clay Jenkinson, December 4

Clay Jenkinson presents his portrayal of Meriwether Lewis, who with his friend William Clark, led the most successful exploration of American history -- one that made Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea principle figures in American mythology.

The Scoop on Food, November 10

Join The Seattle Times and luminaries of the local food scene for a lively conversation about what it's like to both create and write about cuisine in the Pacific Northwest. Karen Gaudette moderates a panel that features: Nancy Leson, Kathy Casey, Greg Atkinson, and Matthew Amster-Burton.

Peter Stekel, October 11

In 2005, two mountaineers climbing above a glacier in the High Sierra found the mummified remains of a man in a WWII uniform. Author Peter Stekel talks about the events from his book "'Final Flight: The Mystery of a WWII Plane Crash and the Frozen Airmen in the High Sierra."

Kim Allison, M.D., October 5

Craig Thompson, October 5

Craig Thompson discusses his work and shows illustrations from "Habibi." It tells the tale of Dodola and Zam, refugee child slaves bound to each other by chance, by circumstance and by the love that grows between them.

Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis, October 4

Debut novelist, Colin Meloy and acclaimed artist, Carson Ellis discuss their new book "Wildwood," the first book in an epic middle-grade fantasy series full of magic, wonder and danger set in an alternate version of modern-day Portland, Oregon.

Russell Banks, October 3

Russell Banks reads from his new novel, "Lost Memory of Skin." His new book tells the story of the Kid, a 22-year-old registered sex offender living in a homeless encampment under a south Florida causeway, and the Professor, a morbidly obese, brilliant, university sociologist doing research.

Thrilling Tales, October 2011

Need a mid-day break? Every first and third Monday, you can laugh, gasp and shudder to live readings of captivating short stories from a wide range of popular and literary authors. This week's featured story: "The Voice in the Night" by William Hope Hodgson.

Laurence Bergreen, September 28

Laurence Bergreen discusses his new book "Columbus: The Four Voyages." The first major biography of the iconic explorer in more than sixty years shows the madness and genius that only those who traveled with him could have seen.

Ingrid Betancourt, September 27

David Wertheimer, September 25

Longtime Seattle resident David Wertheimer will share his passion for antiquarian books as he explores the significance of early printed books from the 15th century in this program, "Movable Type that Moved the World."

Julie Otsuka, September 23

Julie Otsuka reads from her new novel, "The Buddha in the Attic," which traces the lives of young Japanese mail order brides who travel to San Francisco in the early 1900s to meet their husbands and create new lives in America.

Adam Hochschild, September 20

Adam Hochschild discusses his new book, "To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918." He tells the first history of World War I to showcase the war's critics as much as its heroes and victims.

Julie Salamon, September 19

The Land that Rock Forgot, August 4

Fast forward to 2012: The ultra high-tech Brian Waite Band is on its way to a gig when the plane crashes on a remote island. Their musical instruments now useless, the band members rediscover the beauty of nature and meet other castaways who teach them about their native music.

Viaduct Referendum, August 4

In the August 16 Primary, the citizens of Seattle will be asked to vote on an ordinance "relating to the replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct". Join this panel as we discuss the consequences of the vote procedurally and politically.

John Burnham Schwartz, August 1

Armistead Maupin, June 25

The Seattle Public Library and PrideFest welcome best-selling author Armistead Maupin for a special Pride Week reading from his latest novel, "Mary Ann in Autumn," and a conversation on the gay, bohemian world of "Tales of the City."

World Refugee Day, June 19

In honor of World Refugee Day, former refugees from Burma, Bhutan, Iraq, Somalia and Congo will discuss issues raised by a film and answer questions from the audience. Former refugees and asylees, all of the panelists fled war and persecution in their native lands. Overcoming challenges and resettling here, they now help ease the transition of other newly resettled refugees and asylees.

Lisa See, June 9

Join Lisa See for the story behind "Dreams of Joy" and see the trailer of "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," a film by Wayne Wang. "Dreams of Joy" continues the story of sisters Pearl and May from "Shanghai Girls," and Pearl's strong-willed 19-year-old daughter, Joy.

Brooke Gladstone & David Boardman, June 8

Brooke Gladstone and David Boardman talk about "The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media," a new nonfiction graphic novel. The cartoon of Gladstone conducts the reader through two millennia of media history, from the newspapers in Caesar's Rome to the penny press of the American Revolution and the manipulations of contemporary journalism.

Erik Larson, May 31

Erik Larson discusses "In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin." Larson is the author of the three New York Times bestsellers "The Devil in the White City," "Thunderstruck," and "Isaac's Storm."

Teresa Gowan, May 18

Teresa Gowan will present an illustrated talk about her five years of field work with homeless men in the most liberal city in America. She vividly depicts the lives of homeless men in San Francisco in her book "Hobos, Hustlers, and Backsliders," where she analyzes the influence of the homelessness industry on the streets, in the shelters, and on public policy.

Mary Doria Russell, May 17

Author Mary Doria Russell reads from her new book "Doc" at the Central Library. "Doc" is a character study about the famous Old West icon, Doc Holliday, set among his rowdy friends and enemies in 1878 Dodge City. In her reading, the author gives Seattle readers a peek into another time and place while interpreting the character of a conflicted man.

Chris Cleave at Beacon Hill Branch, May 14

Chris Cleave speaks at the Beacon Hill Branch about "Little Bee" as part of the 2011 Seattle Reads program. The Washington Center for the Book at The Seattle Public Library invites everyone to take part in Seattle Reads "Little Bee," a project designed to foster reading and discussion of works by authors of diverse cultures and ethnicities.

Thrilling Tales, May 2011

Chris Cleave, May 13

Join us for the main event of Seattle Reads "Little Bee": An Evening with Chris Cleave. Two narrators tell a story, both heartbreaking and heartwarming, about how their lives are forever changed and linked when they meet one fateful day on a beach in Nigeria: Little Bee, a young Nigerian refugee in the UK, and Sarah, posh British magazine editor and mother of four-year-old Charlie, who refuses to take off his Batman costume.

Coll Thrush, May 1

Discover the world of London through the eyes of a Native American who has been taken there as a "curiosity" by new owners. Coll Thrush will talk about his new research on the travels of indigenous Native Americans to London in the 18th century.

Marc Freedman, April 27

Marc Freedman discussed "The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Between Midlife and Old Age." Marc Freedman, social entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Civic Ventures, offers tips for how to transform America's coming midlife crisis into an opportunity for individuals and society.

Uchechi Kalu & E.C. Osondu, April 20

Nigerian-born authors Uchechi Kalu and E.C. Osondu read from their debut works; this event is part of Seattle Reads "Little Bee," a program of the Washington Center for the Book at The Seattle Public Library. Uchechi Kalu read from "Flowers Blooming Against a Bruised Gray Sky," a debut collection of poems. E.C. Osondu read from "Voice of America," winner of the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing.

Asylum-Seekers in Our Region, April 13

Join the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) for a discussion of the experiences of asylum-seekers in our community. Jorge L. Barón, executive director of NWIRP, will lead a discussion on the experiences of asylum-seekers who are held at the Northwest Detention Center, an immigration detention facility in Tacoma, and on the challenges that those who flee persecution in their homelands face when they arrive in this country.

Howard Jacobson, April 12

Howard Jacobson read from "The Finkler Question," winner of the 2010 Man Booker Prize on Apr. 12, 2011 at The Seattle Public Library. Childhood friends Julian Treslove, a radio producer, and Samuel Finkler, a Jewish philosopher, enter middle age and reminisce over their struggles with self-identity, anti-Semitism, women, love and the past.

Henning Mankell, April 8

Internationally-bestselling Swedish author of the the Kurt Wallander mysteries, Henning Mankell, read from "The Troubled Man." A retired high-ranking naval officer vanishes in a forest near Stockholm. The official investigation has nothing to do with Detective Kurt Wallander, but the man who disappeared is his daughter's future father-in-law. Soon Wallander finds himself caught up in elaborate Cold War espionage activities.

Seattle In Black and White, April 3

Joan Singler, Maid Adams, Jean Durning and Bettylou Valentine gave first-hand accounts of local civil rights activism from members in the Seattle Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). In 1960, Seattle was effectively a segregated town with no black bus drivers, sales clerks, or bank tellers. In the new book "Seattle in Black and White: The Congress of Racial Equality and the Fight for Equal Opportunity," the many challenges to this unfair system are documented.

Ursula K. Le Guin & Roger Dorband, March 23

Charitable Gift Planning Workshop, March 22

Learn more about the types of gifts you can make and how changes in the 2011 tax laws will affect your philanthropic giving by listening to this charitable gift planning workshop. Guest speaker Akane R. Suzuki of Garvey Schubert Barer, Chair of the law firm's Estate Planning, Probate and Estate Litigation Group, brings expertise and insight to help support your philanthropy.

Urban Agriculture, March 22

"Urban Agriculture" featured a panel discussion of local organizations. Local experts from Mithun, the P-Patch Trust, Alleycat Acres and other organizations discussed the successes and challenges of their unique design processes as well as the many benefits of locally grown food. This program was co-sponsored with the Seattle Architectural Foundation.

T.C. Boyle, March 1

T.C. Boyle reads from "When the Killing's Done." In Boyle's latest novel, California's Galapagos, the wild Northern Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, become the setting for a dramatic showdown between two factions of environmentalists, each utterly convinced of their beliefs in preserving the islands and the natural world.

Seattle Biblio Café | Episode 7

Librarians Misha and David are joined by author Jennifer Worick to discuss publishing, and "Publish Your Passion," an upcoming program at the Library, for everyone who has a book inside them longing to get out. They also share what they've been reading, including Josephine Tey's "The Daughter of Time," "A Discovery of Witches," by Deborah Harkness, and "The Chronology of Water," by Lidia Yuknavitch.

New Treatments in the Pipeline for Parkinson's Patients, March 2

Hojoong (Mike) Kim, M.D., acting, assistant professor, department of Neurology, discussed new studies and treatments that involve pharmaceutics, gene therapy and stem cell transplantation. If you have Parkinson disease or are caring for someone who does, there are new treatments on the horizon that may provide real hope. This event series was co-sponsored with UW Medicine.

Russell Simmons, February 24

Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons discussed "Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All," written with Chris Morrow. Through personal stories, real-life examples, yogic principles, and proven philosophies, Simmons offers a guide to making the most out of life. His message: People who do what they love and don't expect anything in return are the ones who will get the most out of life; the affluence that follows is just icing on the cake.

Jack Hamann, February 13

Award-winning journalist Jack Hamann discusses "On American Soil: How Justice Became a Casualty of World War II." On the night of Aug. 14, 1944, African-American soldiers from segregated units attacked Italian prisoners of war at Seattle's Fort Lawton, resulting in a riot. Researching the story, Jack Hamann came to believe that the U.S. Army had bungled the investigation, destroyed and withheld key evidence during the trial, and covered it up by railroading the black soldiers.

Jamie Ford, February 6

Jamie Ford read from his bestselling novel, "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet," at The Seattle Public Library. Alternating between the present and the past, "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" tells a poignant story about fathers and sons, memory and regret, identity and racism, and how events in history affect the course of real people's lives.

Lynne Iglitzin, February 5

Lynne Iglitzin gave an an illustrated talk about Margaret Bourke-White, one of the most famous women of the 20th century, on Feb. 5, 2011. Iglitzin, former professor of Political Science at the University of Washington and a specialist in Women's Studies, tells how Margaret Bourke-White pioneered new techniques in photojournalism and opened the door for women in photography.

Alice Hoffman, February 3

Bestselling novelist Alice Hoffman read from her latest novel, "The Red Garden," on Feb. 3, 2011 at The Seattle Public Library. In a series of linked, consecutive stories, Hoffman traces the life of Blackwell, Massachusetts, a mythical town in the Berkshire Mountains, from its founding up to the present.

Harnessing the Body's Own Healing Potential, February 2

Kim Harmon, M.D., UW Sports Medicine at Hall Health, talked about how to jump-start the body's own healing processes with a new procedure called platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP). Learn more about how athletes are using their own blood to heal faster from sports-related injuries and how similar treatments can be used to heal chronic injuries in athletes and exercisers of all ages and ability levels.

Mark O'Connor, January 28

Seattle-native Mark O'Connor, a world-renowned jazz violinist/folk fiddler and Grammy-winning composer, played modern classical music and talked about his craft. Widely known as one of America's more inventive and innovative composers, Mark O'Connor demonstrated his American style of string playing, his improvisational abilities and the process of composition.

Edmund Morris, January 26

Historian Edmund Morris discussed his new biography, "Colonel Roosevelt." Thirty years after Morris published his Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" and the bestseller "Theodore Rex," he has written the third and final volume of one of the most indelible and significant figures in American history.

Sustainable Urban Lighting, January 25

Denise Fong presented "Sustainable Urban Lighting," the fourth program in the six-part "Design in Depth: Solving Problems with Design" series. Denise Fong, a lighting designer and Principal with Candela, shared her passion for sustainable design and discussed current studies on sustainable community design and pilot projects. This program was co-sponsored with the Seattle Architectural Foundation.